What Virtual Reality eLearning Is and Why it Will Be the Learning Trend of the Future
Virtual Reality (VR) offers new and innovative ways to engage with customers and learners. This success has filtered across businesses as executives realize the potential of the technology to enhance Learning and Development initiatives. Pathways Training and eLearning is pleased to be the first developer of virtual reality eLearning in Canada.
Pathways uses 360 video to tell and advance the learning experience for learners as 360 video allows simulations to replicate a real-life learning experience. The reason why virtual reality is a learning trend, is because it makes simulation/scenario based learning real, in which you are able to mimic the situation in which learners will apply the new skills.
Virtual Reality has taken the world by storm offering new and innovative ways to engage with customers and learners. This success has filtered into businesses as executives realize the potential of this technology to enhance learning and development initiatives for a workforce. Today’s employees value opportunities to learn in their role. The increasing availability and decreasing cost of VR presents organizations with the opportunity to stand out from the crowd when it comes to attracting and retaining staff.
Let’s look at a few benefits that virtual reality eLearning offers:
Mimics real-life situations. As aforementioned, virtual reality can be used to create interactive scenarios which mirror real-life situations. This immersive training can include simulating the way equipment responds, imitating the way machinery works and practicing human actions and scenarios.
Simplifying complex situations. Complex situations and processes can be recreated through VR allowing employees to practice situations in a simulated environment.
Makes training enjoyable and entertaining. Today’s workforce needs training that motivates, interests and is related to their role; which virtual reality can offer.
Improves retention and recall. Virtual reality increases retention and recall levels of the information delivered during training sessions because it engages participants with the benefits it offers.
Suitable for many different learning styles. People have different learning styles, (visual, aural, verbal, kinesthetic). Virtual reality eLearningtakes all learning styles into account.
With such a wide range of uses for virtual reality eLearning across industries, it seems certain that this technology will prove to be significant in the future and could transform the way employees learn and businesses develop talent. Let’s look at how several industries could (and are in many cases) using VR eLearning.
Healthcare; Healthcare professionals require a vast amount of professional experience and skill, especially if they are in surgical or trauma-related sectors. With virtual reality eLearning, medical professionals are able to explore every procedure and learn how to care for patients without any risk involved.
Hospitality & Tourism; VR eLearning can provide trainees with a tour of a particular location with the 360-degree view. For example, travel agents can take a tour of accommodations to determine if they are recommendation-worthy, or go on an hour-long cruise around the Mediterranean before they book the real thing for their clients. Hotel managers can also utilize virtual reality eLearning to teach their staff how to prepare the rooms and the proper way to interact with guests.
Manufacturing; Virtual reality eLearning offers manufactures the chance to master the system and create an efficient routine for operating equipment.
Sales/Retail; with VR eLearning, employees can be trained in management and customer service. Staff are trained in 360-degree video-based technology that includes on-screen cues that will prompt staff to make decisions based on real-world situations. (How to deal with Boxing Day rush, common customer service scenarios and dealing with difficult customers). Employees can also learn about new products by interacting with the item in a VR setting, instead of simply reading about the features and benefits, they can see them in action in a VR eLearning module.
Law Enforcement; Virtual reality simulations help law enforcement officers gain real-world experience in a safe setting. They can learn how to read a suspect’s body language during an interrogation or how to securely disarm an assailant.
Real Estate; Real estate agents can have the opportunity to tour properties in an instant to see if they are suitable for their clients, instead of having to attend numerous open houses. Real estate developers can also take a tour of homes that haven’t even been built to get a feel for the layout. This gives them the ability to adjust the architect’s plans before they break ground, thereby saving a great deal of time and money.
Space; NASA is one of the earliest adopters of virtual reality for learning. Astronauts can train in a way they never could before by practicing to complete tasks in gravity free environment in a VR eLearning.
To sum up, with such a wide range of uses for virtual reality eLearning across industries, it seems certain that this technology will prove to be significant in the future and could transform the way employees learn and businesses develop talent.
Check out some recent articles on Pathways Training and eLearning Inc.’s recent virtual reality eLearning work:
Magazine Article - March 2018 eLearning Guild (U.S)
https://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/2579/devlearn-links-teams-exploring-360-degree-video-in-elearning
Online Canadian Publication - February 2018
http://whatsyourtech.ca/2018/02/02/first-aid-training-emergency-response-awareness-built-into-new-virtual-reality-app/
Magazine Article – June 2017 Business Review Canada
http://www.businessreviewcanada.ca/technology/1984/Pathways-Training-eLearning-develops-Canada's-first-virtual-reality-learning-tool-with-St-John-Ambulance
